JP2005210257A - Facsimile machine and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image communication apparatus with a function of transmitting image data to an opposite terminal, that includes a function of automatically storing backup copy data of transmitted image data so as to easily provide searching of transmission backup copy data, its output and storage in an easier manner, by revising the contents of the image with the transmitted image data and the backup copy data. <P>SOLUTION: In Figure, a caption 101 indicates a facsimile machine body. The machine includes a CPU 102, a ROM 103, a RAM 104, an image memory 105 for storing an image, an operation panel 106, a MODEM 107, is a network controller 108, a read section 109, a coding/decoding section 110, a recording control section 111, and a printer 112. Furthermore, a bit map memory 121 for image processing such as rotation, an external interface section 113, a LAN interface 114, a PDL analysis section 115, a host interface 116, a LAN 117, and terminals 118, 119 respectively connected via a computer and the LAN of a server or the like are provided. A host computer 120 is directly connected to a facsimile machine 101 via a host interface 116. As shown in Figure, the facsimile machine 101 takes various external connectional forms, such as direct connection to the host computer and connection to the network, via the LAN. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a facsimile machine.

  In recent facsimile apparatuses, a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions such as a facsimile transmission / reception function and a printing function from a computer has become mainstream.

  In addition, when using a facsimile in an office, there are many cases in which a copy of a document sent to the outside is stored for confidentiality management as a company. Conventionally, a transmission original is copied and stored. However, in the above multi-function peripheral, there are many cases where facsimile transmission is performed from a computer, and there are many models that can be set to perform transmission and print for printing together.

Further, in a model having an image file function, the transmitted image data can be stored as a file (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-6-98058

  In the above-described conventional example, the image to be saved as a record does not need to be clear and large as compared with the transmission data itself, and is often sufficient to be confirmed. Therefore, when the transmission data is recorded as it is and a copy is created, there is a problem that it is larger than necessary and it is very bulky when filed with paper.

  In addition, for use as a record, it is important to be able to accurately search information (date, time, sender, destination, etc.) at the time of transmission rather than the image itself.

  In order to solve the above problem, in the present invention, in a facsimile apparatus having a function of transmitting image data to a partner terminal and automatically storing a copy of the transmitted image data, the contents of the image using the transmitted image data and the copy data. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission copy that is more efficient and easy to search.

  As described above, according to the present invention, an image communication apparatus having a function of transmitting image data to a counterpart terminal has a function of automatically storing a copy of the transmitted image data, By changing the content of the image with the copy data, it is possible to more easily provide a search for the copy copy, its output, and storage.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail by taking a facsimile apparatus as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus of the present invention and a system using the same.

  In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a facsimile apparatus main body. 102 is a CPU, 103 is a ROM, 104 is a RAM, 105 is an image memory for storing images, 106 is an operation panel, 107 is a MODEM, 108 is a network control device, 109 is a reading unit, 110 is an encoding / decoding unit, Reference numeral 111 denotes a recording control unit, and 112 denotes a printer. Reference numeral 121 denotes a bitmap memory for image processing work such as rotation.

  Reference numeral 113 denotes an external interface unit. Reference numeral 114 denotes a LAN interface, 115 denotes a PDL analyzer, 116 denotes a host interface, 117 denotes a LAN, and 118 and 119 denote terminals connected via a LAN such as a computer and a server, respectively. A host computer 120 is directly connected to the facsimile apparatus 101 via the host interface 116. As shown in the figure, the facsimile apparatus 101 has various external connection forms such as a direct connection with a host computer or a network connection through a LAN.

  Hereinafter, a process of performing facsimile transmission with this system and storing the data after transmission will be described.

<Image transmission from scanning>
When a document for transmission is set in the reading unit 109, data for transmission is input from the operation panel 106 and transmission is instructed, reading of the image data is started, and the encoding / decoding unit 110 performs encoding processing. The processed image is stored in the image memory 105. The stored image data is sent to the MODEM 107, and is sent to the receiving terminal connected to the public network via the network control device.

<Image transmission from I / F>
In order to send an external image by facsimile, data sent from the host computer 120 or the external terminal 118 is analyzed by the PDL analysis unit 115, developed into image data and processing commands, and once stored in the PDL analysis unit 115. Accumulate in expanded memory. Thereafter, if the processing command includes a “facsimile transmission command”, the image data expanded in the expansion memory is input to the encoding / decoding unit 110, and the input image from the reading unit is then input. Similarly, the encoding process is performed, and the processed image is accumulated in the image memory 105 and transmitted.

  If the command is not a “facsimile transmission command”, the developed image data is directly input to the recording control unit 111, and recording processing as a normal printer is performed.

<Image reduction processing / saving>
Hereinafter, a process when image data automatic saving is set in advance will be described.

  Each automatic save setting is performed from the operation panel 106 of the facsimile apparatus 101. An example of setting items is shown in FIG.

  If the setting has been made, the data in the image memory 105 is not erased even when the facsimile transmission is completed, but is decoded by the encoding / decoding unit 110 and sent to the recording control unit 111 in units of several lines. The recording control unit 111 performs the conversion process to the specified magnification / resolution for the input image, and writes the output in the work bitmap memory 121, as in the case of recording a normal received document. Data remaining in the image memory 105 is deleted in order from the page on which this processing has been completed.

  In addition, transmission information such as a transmission date and time is created for facsimile transmission. This information is not erased immediately after transmission, but is stored together as header information when corresponding image data is expanded in the bitmap memory.

  The storage image created in the bitmap memory 121 is encoded again by the encoding / decoding unit 110, stored in the image memory 105, and then sent to the storage medium. In this embodiment, the created data is sent to the server 119 through the LAN interface 114 and stored. Here, a storage medium such as a magneto-optical disk device may be provided in the facsimile main body 101, and the facsimile main body 101 may be stored here instead of being sent to the server.

<Search and output saved data>
An example of how to use the transmission record data stored as described above is as follows.

  An example of the flow of display on the operation panel 106 when retrieving data from the main body operation unit is shown in FIG. If the detailed information of the data being searched is not known, a communication management report is first output to confirm the transmission number of the transmission image data being searched. When the number is input from the operation panel 106, the CPU 102 communicates with the server 119 to search by referring to the header information added to the stored data, and prints out from the printer 112 or displays an image on the operation panel 106. To do.

  If the date, time, destination, etc., of the data to be searched for in advance are known, the known information is input from the operation panel 106, and the CPU 102 adds the header information added to the data saved from the server 119. Only those that meet the conditions input from the printer 112 are selected, and the recording output from the printer 112 or an image is displayed on the operation panel 106.

  Here, when the copy data is saved, it is saved in a format that is unified for saving independently of the transmitted resolution and the like, so list printing, rearrangement, and the like are facilitated. For example, in a model capable of transmitting A3, if 2in1 recording is set to “Yes” in FIG. 2, when the search results mixed with A3 and A4 are sequentially packed and output, the A4 manuscript becomes half blank, Inefficient. Therefore, when this setting is made, the A4 document is stored in a state rotated 90 degrees (two sheets are arranged to become A3), and when recording and output, “inside the document sent at once” “sent within a certain time” The data can be used efficiently by rearranging and outputting the data so that half-white paper is not produced within a range that has little effect even if the order changes.

  On the other hand, when retrieving data from the host computer 120 or the terminal 118 connected via the LAN, application software for retrieval is installed in advance. In this application, when the date, sender, etc. are input, the header of the data in the server is sorted, and the target image data can be decoded, displayed and printed.

  Here, when the data found by the search is recorded and output, the transmission source information attached as a header can be output together.

<Other embodiments>
In the first embodiment, the image data after transmission is processed and stored again, but it may be configured to create storage data using input data before encoding. In this case, the image data sent from the reading unit or the external I / F is input to the encoding / decoding unit 110, and at the same time, temporarily stored in the bitmap memory 121, and the encoded transmission data is an image. While being transmitted from the memory 105, the data in the bitmap memory 121 is converted into a reserved format, and the encoding / decoding unit 110 performs the encoding operation.

  In the first embodiment, the same processing is performed on the transmission data input from the reading unit and the transmission data input from the I / F. However, when transmitting from the I / F, the PDF analysis unit 115 Since the expanded data remains, this data may be processed directly to create storage data.

  Furthermore, although the image compression format uses facsimile encoding, it is not limited to this.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a table | surface which shows the example of the setting list for storage / output of copy data in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the main body operation panel screen display for copy data search.

Explanation of symbols

101 Facsimile machine body 102 CPU
103 ROM
104 RAM
105 Image memory for storing images 106 Operation panel 107 MODEM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 108 Network control apparatus 109 Reading part 110 Encoding / decoding part 111 Recording control part 112 Printer 113 External interface part 114 LAN interface 115 PDL analysis part 116 Host interface 117 LAN
118 terminal 119 server 120 host computer 121 bitmap memory

Claims (6)

  A facsimile apparatus having a function of transmitting image data to a partner terminal and automatically storing a copy of the transmitted image data, wherein the contents of the image are changed by the transmitted image data and the copy data .   The content of the change according to claim 1 includes a change in image size or image resolution.   3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for combining the changed plural image data into one copy data.   2. The change according to claim 1, wherein the contents of the change include a direction rotation of the image.   The content of the change according to claim 1 includes addition of transmission source information.   The content of the change according to claim 1 includes rearrangement of the order.

Images